Softwr

Construction · head to head

AutoCAD vs Siteline

AutoCAD logo

AutoCAD

Construction

Computer-aided design and drafting software

From
$2095/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Siteline logo

Siteline

Construction

Pay application and billing workflow built only for speciality subcontractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AutoCAD expensive subscription model with annual price increases of 5-8% and multi-year commitment premiums of 8-18%; Siteline it serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • They diverge on capability: AutoCAD covers 2D and 3D CAD, Siteline covers Pay application generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AutoCAD and Siteline actually diverge.

Attributes where AutoCAD and Siteline differ
AttributeAutoCADSiteline
Starting price$2095/yearOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebWeb
Founded1982Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AutoCAD

  • 2D and 3D CAD
  • Technical drawing
  • Precision modeling
  • Documentation tools
  • Autodesk ecosystem
  • Microsoft Office
  • Revit
  • 3ds Max

Only in Siteline

  • Pay application generation
  • Lien waiver management
  • Compliance document tracking
  • Billing status visibility
  • Accounting system integration
  • Accounts receivable reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AutoCAD

  • Architectural drawingsnot Siteline
  • Engineering designnot Siteline
  • Technical documentationnot Siteline
  • Construction plansnot Siteline

Siteline

  • A trade contractor whose billing team rebuilds the same pay application in four different general contractor formats each monthnot AutoCAD
  • A subcontractor losing a billing cycle to rejected applications over missing lien waiversnot AutoCAD
  • A finance director trying to forecast collections across dozens of general contractors and retention balancesnot AutoCAD
  • A growing subcontractor whose billing process depends entirely on one person and a spreadsheetnot AutoCAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AutoCAD

  • Expensive subscription model with annual price increases of 5-8% and multi-year commitment premiums of 8-18%
  • Desktop-centric design, limited cloud-native collaboration features
  • No perpetual license option, subscription required for continued use

Siteline

  • It serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • It does not do job costing, project management or payroll, so it is an addition to your systems rather than a consolidation of them.
  • Value depends on a clean integration to your construction accounting system, and contractors with heavily customised or elderly installations should confirm the connection before signing.
  • General contractor portals and billing formats change without warning, and although the vendor absorbs that maintenance you still feel it as occasional friction in a month-end window with no slack.
  • The billing team has to adopt it fully in the first month-end or they revert to spreadsheets under deadline pressure, which makes the implementation timing more delicate than the software suggests.

Pricing, plan by plan

AutoCAD

$2095/year

No published plan breakdown. See the AutoCAD review.

Siteline

On request
  • Siteline$undefined/year
    • Pay application workflow
    • Lien waiver and compliance tracking
    • Accounting system integration

Which should you pick?

Choose AutoCAD if

  • You need 2d and 3d cad.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want technical drawing.
AutoCAD review

Choose Siteline if

  • You need pay application generation.
  • You also want lien waiver management.
Siteline review

Questions people ask

Is AutoCAD or Siteline better?
Neither clearly leads. AutoCAD starts at $2095/year and Siteline at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AutoCAD or Siteline?
AutoCAD starts at $2095/year and Siteline at On request.
Does AutoCAD or Siteline run on more platforms?
AutoCAD runs on Windows, macOS, Web. Siteline runs on Web.
What is AutoCAD best used for?
AutoCAD is most often used for architectural drawings, engineering design, technical documentation, construction plans. Of those, architectural drawings and engineering design are not what Siteline is typically brought in for.
What can AutoCAD do that Siteline cannot?
AutoCAD covers 2D and 3D CAD, Technical drawing, Precision modeling, Documentation tools. Siteline covers Pay application generation, Lien waiver management, Compliance document tracking, Billing status visibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AutoCAD: What is AutoCAD's subscription pricing?

AutoCAD 2027 costs $2,095 annually for a single Named User subscription, $235 monthly, or $1,865 yearly. AutoCAD LT costs $500 annually. Prices have been increasing 5-8% annually.

Source
Siteline: Does it replace our accounting system?

No. It reads from Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Foundation and similar systems and handles the billing workflow those systems handle poorly.

AutoCAD: Is AutoCAD available for free?

AutoCAD is only available through subscription. However, eligible students can get AutoCAD free for one year with a .edu email address through the Autodesk Education License program.

Siteline: What should we measure in a trial?

Days sales outstanding and the number of rejected or delayed pay applications. The case is about cash timing, not headcount.

Siteline: Is it useful for general contractors?

No. It is built for the party submitting pay applications, not the party receiving them.

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